Steilacoom, Washington

Steilacoom, Washington
Town
Location of Steilacoom, Washington
Coordinates: 47°10′12″N 122°35′40″W / 47.17000°N 122.59444°W / 47.17000; -122.59444Coordinates: 47°10′12″N 122°35′40″W / 47.17000°N 122.59444°W / 47.17000; -122.59444
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pierce
Area[1]
• Total	2.07 sq mi (5.36 km2)
• Land	2.04 sq mi (5.28 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation	75 ft (23 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	5,985
• Estimate (2012[3])	6,070
• Density	2,933.8/sq mi (1,132.7/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	98388
Area code	253
FIPS code	53-67770
GNIS feature ID	1508718[4]
Website	steilacoom.org

Steilacoom is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2010 census.^[5] Steilacoom is on the coast of Puget Sound, on a branch not visible on the map to the right. Steilacoom incorporated in 1854 and became the first incorporated town in what is now Washington state. It has also become somewhat of a bedroom community for soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Steilacoom ranks 61st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.

History

The origin of the name "Steilacoom" is unclear. One story is that it comes from fur traders with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and is an adaptation of "Tail-a-Koom", the name of an Indian chief. In 1824 HBC chief factor John Work called it "Chilacoom". Another early spelling was "Chelakom".^[6][7] The Town of Steilacoom says it comes from the name of the Steilacoom tribe, especially their main village in the Tacoma area, located on Chambers Bay. This village was called Scht’ləqʷəm, later anglicized as Steilacoom.^[8] William Bright says the name comes from the Southern Coast Salish subgroup /č'tílqʷəbš/, anglicized as "Steilacoom".^[9]

Steilacoom was founded by Lafayette Balch, a sea captain from Maine, and officially incorporated in 1854. It is the oldest incorporated town in Washington and has 4 individual buildings and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the oldest Catholic Church in the state and the first Protestant Church north of the Columbia River, as well as the Steilacoom Historic District, with 68 contributing properties.

Steilacoom's main source of early prosperity was the manufacture and export of lumber to San Francisco. When the United States Congress established the Washington Territory on March 2, 1853, Governor Isaac Stevens chose Steilacoom to be the seat of Pierce County.

Steilacoom was once the leading candidate to become the territorial capital and the one-time county seat, but lost its chance for dominance in the south Puget Sound region when the Northern Pacific Railroad picked rival city, Tacoma for its west coast terminus in 1873. Steilacoom has since settled into its role of suburban bedroom community.

Steilacoom had the first jail in Washington and the first sawmill. Steilacoom is located next to the City of Lakewood which is home to one of two major state run mental health facilities, Western State Hospital, on the site of what was once Fort Steilacoom. Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt, the University of Washington's first graduate (1876), was born in Steilacoom.

Geography

Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center and Museum, a former church on Lafayette Street.

Steilacoom is located at 47°10′12″N 122°35′40″W / 47.17000°N 122.59444°W / 47.17000; -122.59444 (47.170019, -122.594349).^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.07 square miles (5.36 km²), of which, 2.04 square miles (5.28 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water.^[1]

Transportation

Pierce County maintains a Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry which departs from Steilacoom and serves Anderson and Ketron islands.

Education

Public schools are operated by the Steilacoom Historical School District #1, which was first established in 1854.^[11]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 5,985 people, 2,559 households, and 1,715 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,933.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,132.7 /km²). There were 2,793 housing units at an average density of 1,369.1 per square mile (528.6 /km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.1% White, 4.7% African American, 0.7% Native American, 7.3% Asian, 1.4% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 7.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.7% of the population.

There were 2,559 households of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79.

The median age in the town was 42.4 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,049 people, 2,570 households, and 1,721 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,916.9 people per square mile (1,128.3/km²). There were 2,674 housing units at an average density of 1,289.4 per square mile (498.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 78.46% White, 6.70% African American, 0.84% Native American, 5.87% Asian, 0.61% Pacific Islander, 1.65% from other races, and 5.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.41% of the population.

There are 2,570 households out of which 27.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% are married couples living together, 9.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% are non-families. 26.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.83.

In the town the age distribution of the population shows 22.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,113, and the median income for a family was $54,725. Males had a median income of $40,505 versus $34,136 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,124. About 6.9% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Steilacoom, Washington.

• Town of Steilacoom
• Steilacoom Historical Museum Association
• Steilacoom Historical School District #1
• Steilacoom, Washington on the Open Directory Project
• McNeil Island Corrections Center

v t e Municipalities and communities of Pierce County, Washington, United States County seat: Tacoma Cities Auburn‡ Bonney Lake Buckley DuPont Edgewood Fife Fircrest Gig Harbor Lakewood Milton‡ Orting Pacific‡ Puyallup Roy Ruston Sumner Tacoma University Place Towns Carbonado Eatonville South Prairie Steilacoom Wilkeson CDPs Alder Alderton Anderson Island Artondale Ashford Browns Point Canterwood Crocker Dash Point Elbe Elk Plain Fife Heights Fort Lewis Fox Island Frederickson Graham Greenwater Herron Island Home Kapowsin Ketron Island Key Center La Grande Longbranch Maplewood McChord AFB McKenna McMillin Midland North Fort Lewis North Puyallup Parkland Prairie Heights Prairie Ridge Purdy Raft Island Rosedale South Creek South Hill Spanaway Stansberry Lake Summit Summit View Vaughn Waller Wauna Wollochet Other unincorporated communities Burnett Cascadia Electron Firwood Lakebay McNeil Island Paradise Indian reservation Muckleshoot Reservation‡ Ghost towns Fairfax Melmont Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties